


Patience

by AngelQueen



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, Episode Tag, Gen, villain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-15
Updated: 2011-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-26 02:24:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/277604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelQueen/pseuds/AngelQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had been over-zealous, and overplayed his hand.</p><p>Tag for 4.07 <i>The Secret Sharer</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Patience

The window in Agravaine’s chambers afforded him an excellent view over Camelot. The pristine walls of the citadel gleamed in the late afternoon sun, and the roofs of the town outside the castle walls were all nicely quaint and in good repair.

Today, though, the view afforded Agravaine no pleasure. He grimaced as he took a drink of wine from his goblet, even though the liquid’s taste was perfectly acceptable. He could find no enjoyment in anything at the moment, not after this latest catastrophe he had been involved in.

It had almost worked! Gaius had been seemingly revealed as the traitor within Camelot’s walls, his so-called flight working perfectly to confirm his guilt, and he was certain that Morgana’s acquiring of the catha’s skills would have given them Emrys’ location and true identity within a matter of hours. Until it hadn’t, and everything had fallen apart.

It was all Merlin’s fault. _Damn that wretched boy_ , Agravaine thought savagely, all but tossing his empty goblet down onto the table. If not for him, everything would have worked and he and Morgana would be one step closer to eliminating Arthur and claiming Camelot.

Then again, perhaps he shouldn’t have underestimated the servant’s love for his mentor. Merlin’s devotion to Arthur knew no bounds, surely he should have expected no less for Gaius. Morgana had complained about Merlin more than once.

“I swear, he lives under the luckiest star in the sky,” she’d muttered once, her green eyes dark and furious. “My sister and I once left him bound by magical chains in the forest for the serkets to feast upon, and he _still_ manages to appear at his master’s side, right as rain, within a day.”

Agravaine didn’t know the entire history between Merlin and Morgana, only that she seemed to hate the boy as much as she despised Arthur, perhaps even more. At first, he thought that her reports of the servant were exaggerated, but the more time he’d come to spend in Camelot, the more he’d seen how right she was. Merlin had Arthur’s ear, perhaps more than anyone else, and the young king listened to him. _Him_ , a stupid, foolish serving boy.

Only perhaps he wasn’t so stupid, so foolish, as he often appeared to be.

Agravaine knew he was going to have to tread carefully in the coming days. He had overplayed his hand by targeting Gaius so zealously. He had seen the look in Arthur’s eyes today, when they had stood in the physician’s chambers, watching Guinevere care for the exhausted, wounded Gaius. There had been anger there, anger at himself, but also at Agravaine. In his haste to implicate Gaius in committing treason, he had overreached himself.

Then, as if that was not bad enough, Agravaine also knew that he would have many more people watching him. Gwaine might be a hothead, as he had told Morgana, but he was not blind. The knight had seen his true intentions in the cave, and from the look on his face, had only accepted Agravaine’s hasty lies because he was more concerned for Gaius’ health and safety. He didn’t doubt that Gwaine would be watching him.

As would Guinevere, but then, he was fairly certain she had been watching him for a while now. More than once, he had caught the girl watching him, a quizzical, suspicious look on her pretty face. The girl was intelligent, but in the habit of keeping her own counsel. She wouldn’t tell Arthur anything unless she had concrete proof, but that she was actively looking for it made her dangerous.

Then there was Merlin. It all came down to him. Agravaine had seen the boy’s expression when he had presented the books on sorcery to Arthur. From that single, burning look, he knew that the boy would have gleefully gutted him if he had dared. He didn’t, of course, but Agravaine also knew he would have to be especially careful around the manservant. He had targeted the boy’s mentor, who was practically a father to him, and someone seeking vengeance made for a perilous individual. Morgana alone was a perfect example of that.

Still, he was well-aware that he couldn’t move against the boy, not anytime soon. His position as Arthur’s right-hand man was shaky right now, and if he tried to bring forth evidence of Merlin being a traitor, Arthur would be even less inclined to believe it than he had been with Gaius. Arthur’s fondness for his servant was astounding. In all honesty, the mutual friendship between them reminded Agravaine of the bond that had existed between Uther and Gorlois, all those years ago.

Come to think of it, perhaps that was why Uther had turned into a murdering tyrant. All those whose counsel he listened to were taken from him. Ygraine had died for the son Uther had so desperately wanted, Tristan had died trying to avenge Ygraine, then Gorlois had fallen in battle, trying desperately to hold the line until the reinforcements he had been promised came, the reinforcements Uther never sent…

 _No_ , Agravaine shook his head. Uther had dug his own grave. He had been honored to help Morgana put him in it.

Sighing, he picked the goblet back up and refilled it silently. He would definitely have to be careful in the coming weeks. He was playing a dangerous game, and if he wasn’t careful, he would lose his head before he and Morgana were ready to oust Uther’s unnaturally born brat.

He had to be patient.


End file.
